What Exactly Is Substance Abuse?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "Substance abuse refers to the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs" (2017).

Many associate substance abuse with criminals, or a homeless person someone sees on the street. However, a topic like this does not discriminate. It could happen to anyone. In reality, addiction could happen to a family member, friend, or even the person currently reading this. In fact, "21.5 Million people in America suffer from substance abuse", that's 9.3% of America (The Costs & Signs of Substance Abuse, 2019). And because of all the assumptions and stereotypes we have created about the issues surrounding substance abuse, many fail to understand how it affects us on the daily, whether its directly or not.

Another thing people may have a difficult time understanding is why. Why do people become addicted? Why is it such a hard thing to overcome? Substance abuse is in fact a disease. If a person struggles with drugs and/or alcohol, it does not necessarily mean that they lack moral principles. It also does not mean that they could simply stop by choice. The initial decision to use a substance is voluntary, but repeated use is then considered abuse of that substance, and its outcome can affect someone for the rest of their life.